Apparatus for rectifying spinal deformities



. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2 4, ISIS Patented July 27, 1920.

UNITED STATES HAROLD J'. RINK, OF CHICAGQILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR RECTIFYING SPINAL DEFORMITIES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentd July 27 ,1920.

Application filed December 24, 1919. Serial no. 347,053.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD J. RINK, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Rectifying Spinal Deformities, of which the following is a specification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form of exercising apparatus for rectifying spinal deformities; to provide an improved form and arrangement of the parts of such apparatus whereby the manipulation of certain parts to exert a pull on the spine in a longitudinal direction will cause a simultaneous transverse pull on a certain part or parts of the spine; to provide such an improved arrangement of the parts of an apparatus of this kind whereby the transverse pull on said spine at different points may be in opposite directions depending upon the curvature or deformity of the spine; and to provide an exerciser ofthis type which is particularly suitable for use in a doorway or similar opening in a wall.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings,

tus, as shown in the drawings, comprises a hoisting or stretching mechanism, a harness and sidewise pulling means. The apparatus is herein shown as mounted on a door-case in such a way that the patient may stand in the doorway and raise and lower, and apply sidewise pulls on his body. I

The hoisting or stretching mechanism comprises a tackle 1, a bracket 8 and a sling 9. The tackle includes the usual pair of pulley blocks 3 and 4 and an operating rope 5, the free end of which is suspended in position to be grasped by the user. A hook 6 or other fastening means is fastened to the lintel 7 of the door-case to which the block 3 of the apparatus may be readily attached or removed. The bracket 8 consists of a piece of resilient heavy wire secured to the block 4. The sling 9 is made of suitable fabric or other material so constructed as to permit the insertion of the head.

The harness by means of which the sidewise pulls are applied to the body, comprises body bands or belts 12 and 13 constructed to embrace the trunk of the body and suspended on the body one above the other by a plurality of straps 14 and 15. The connection of the straps 14 and 15 to the bands is made adjustabl'e'so as to control the relative positions of the bands on the patient.

The means by which the sidewise pull is communicated to the harness, comprisesa pair of cables 10 and 11, and pulleys 16 and 17. The upper. ends of the cables are secured to the hooked ends of the hanger 8, and the lower or other ends are connected, to the respective bands 13 and 14 at opposite sides of the body. The intermediate portions of'these cables run over pulleys 16 andl'T respectively which are attached to the opposite sides of the door-casing, or other frame with which the apparatus is to be used.

The device herein illustrated is. used in substantially the following manner: I

To correct a lateral curvature of the spine, the body is positioned as shown in the drawings, and the shoulder. straps 15 are adjusted so as to position the belt 12 at thepoint of curvature. The supporting. straps 14 are then adjusted so as to position thelower belt 13 at the hips of the body or at a point, of opposite curvature with respect to that, at the point where the belt '12 is placed. When the belts have been properly adjusted, the patient pulls on the free end of the rope 5, by means of which the body is stretched and, if desired, elevated from the floor. At the same time, the cables and their respective body bands exert a pull on the trunk in opposite directions transverse tothe pull on the spine. If-the spine, to be rectified, is curved toward the left-hand side of the body, the person is positioned with respect tothe apparatus so that the cable 12 exerts a pull from the right-hand side of the trunk, as shown in the drawings. If the curvature of the spine is toward the right-hand side of'the trunk, the body faces in a directly opposite direction from that shown in the drawings. -The apparatusmay also be used.

to rectify a spine which is curved toward the front or rear of the body, in which-case the body faces one side ofthe. door-caseand the cables 10 and 11 are secured to the belts:

tackle 1 may be secured to the head of the bed or table and the pulleys 16 and 17 may be secured to the side rails or other suitable supports.

The feet of the person would, in such case, be held in suitable slings secured I I to the foot of the bed or table.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and. described, it will be understood that numer-f ous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the sp1r1t of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim; V 1. An apparatus of the class described,

comprising mechanism adapted for 'attachment to an extremity of the body and, to be used for exerting a pull on the spine in a longitudinal direction, and means adapted for-attachment to the body adjacent to one extremity-of the spine and to be used for exertlng a pull on said spine in a transverse direction,'said mechanism and means being arranged so as to be manipulated in unison.

2. An apparatus of the class described, comprising mechanism adapted for attachment to an extremity of the body and to be usedfor exerting a pull on the spine in a longitudinal direction, and means adapted for attachment to the. body adjacent to one extremity of the spine and to be used for exerting apull on said spine in a transverse direction, said mechanism and means being connected together in such manner that the ,manipulation of said mechanism will actu ate said means.

3. An apparatus of the class described, comprising mechanism adapted for attachment to an extremity of the body and to be used for exerting a pull on the spine in a longitudinal direction, and means adapted for attachment to the bodyadjacent to one extremity of the spine and tobe used for exertmg a pull on said splne 1n a transverse for attachment" to the body atlaplurality of points along the spine and to be used for simultaneously exertinga pull on said spine at several points 1n opposite transverse d1- rections,:said means being connected to said mechanism in such manner that the manipulation of said mechanism' wlll actuate said means.

5. The combination with a supporting be secured to one end of said frame, a sling attached to said tackleand adapted to be fastened to one end of the body of the patient whereby said tackle may be manipulated forexerting a pull on the spine in a longitudinal direction, a harness adapted to embrace'the body of the patient, a cable having one end thereof secured tosaid tackle andjthe other end secured to said harness and an'intermediate portion slidingly engaging one side of said frame, whereby the manipulation of said tackle will simultaneously actuate said cable to exert a pull on the bodyin a transverse direction.

6. The"co1nbination with a supporting frame of an apparatus for rectifying spinal curvature, comprising a tackle adapted to be secured to one endxof said frame, a sling attached to said tackle and adapted to be fastened to one end of the body of the patient whereby said tacklemay be manipulate'dfor exerting a pull on the spine'in a longitudinal direction, a harness adapted to embrace the body of the'patient, and a pair of cables slidingly connected to the op posite, sides of said frame and having one end of each securedto saidtackle and the other end of each connected to said harness at opposite sides of the body and at points spaced apart longitudinally of the body, whereby the manipulation of said tackle will simultaneously actuate 'saidcables so as to exert a pull 'on cert'ainparts of'the body transversely of the spine in respectively op posite directions.

V 7'. The combination with a supporting frame of an apparatus for rectifying spinal curvature, comprising a tackle adapted to be secured't'o one end of said frame, a bracket mounted on said tackle, a sling attached to said bracket and adapted to be fastened to one end of the body of the patient whereby said tackle may be manipulatedfor exerting a pull on the spine in a longitudinal direction, a harnessadapted to embrace the body of the patient, and a pair ofcables slidingly connected tothe opposite sides of said frame and having one end of eachsecured to said bracket and the other end of each connected to said harness at 0pposite sides of the body and at points spaced apart longitudinally of the body, whereby the manipulation of said tackle willsimultaneously'actuate said cables so as to exert a pull on certain parts of the body transversely of the'spine in respectively opposite directions.

Signed at Chicago this 18th day of December, 1919. 1 r

.1 HARQLD J. RINK. 

